Visions of the West presented in exhibit, documentary
Poetic images of the wild American West, along with the buckaroos that tried to tame it, will be front and center at the William Matthews exhibit, “Our West Now,” showing Sept. 25 through Oct. 24 at Durango Arts Center.
Matthews, who is known best as a masterful watercolor painter who illustrates the life of working cowboys, uses the act of applying paint to paper as meditation. He creates a deep human connection with many of his most evocative characters and subjects.
In conjunction with the exhibit, DAC will also feature the documentary film, “William Matthews: Drawn to Paint,” Friday at 6 p.m. with a second showing at 8:15 p.m. in DAC Theater. In the documentary, Matthews revisits some of his favorite subjects and reflects on the world of Western art presented in “Trespassing,” his latest winter 2015 Denver Art Museum exhibit.
Tickets are $10 general admission. The 6 p.m. showing will follow a gallery tour and talk led by Matthews from 5-6 p.m. in the Barbara Conrad Gallery.
Grammy-winner comes to Cortez theater
A genius when it comes to re-imagining and interpreting traditional and popular American songs, Mollie O’Brien and her husband, Rich Moore, are taking classics and originals on the road. The guitar/singing duo is passing through the Sunflower Theatre at 7 p.m. today.
O’Brien, in collaboration with her brother, Tim O’Brien, has cultivated a national and international following, and the duo released the first of three critically-acclaimed albums for Sugar Hill Records. Her voice became a fixture in the American singer-songwriter scene long before her tenure on “A Prairie Home Companion.”
By throwing out genre limitations and musical boundaries, O’Brien has been able to lend her talents to different musical acts that run the gamut, everything from vintage swing bands to rock-steady blues tunes.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime, and a cash bar will be open for concertgoers. Tickets are $18, available at www.sunflowertheatre.org.
Apple Days returns to celebrate harvest
Imagine all the apple cider you can drink paired with a notorious apple pie-eating contest, and you get the annual Apple Days celebration. Complete with Durango farmers market vendors, live music and local artists, Apple Days returns to Buckley Park on Sunday.
The annual event kicks off at 11 a.m., with music by Groove Casters. Other highlights of the fest, besides the bountiful apple harvest, include the pie eating contest at 1:30 p.m., and the Stillwater Community Samba Band at 3:15 p.m.
Vendors from all over the region, like Fields to Plate, Unique Le Natural, Four Corners Beekeeper Association, Cream Bean Berry and Durango Natural Foods, will be present to sell their wares. For more information, visit www.growingpartners.org.
